1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for unlocking a portable terminal.
2. Description of the Background
Generally, portable terminals are designed to perform multiple functions providing various services. Current portable terminals are capable of providing a variety of convenient services, which include call functions, text messaging, wireless internet connectivity, phonebook management, schedule planning, camera functions, video phone communications, sound recording, and/or MP3 player functions. Portable terminals may have an input unit to receive various commands to perform corresponding functions. Particularly, a portable terminal may have a function key or a shortcut key mounted thereon to perform a specific function. For example, a volume key, a camera key, and/or an MP3 key can be placed on a side of a portable terminal. The function keys or shortcut keys can perform an unintended function when the function keys or shortcut keys are unintentionally pressed, for example, in a pocket or a bag.
Recently, touch phones with touch screens have become widely used and an input unit in the touch phones has been removed to enhance design simplicity of a portable terminal. A portable terminal with a touch screen may also perform an unintended function when the touch screen is unintentionally touched, for example, in a pocket or in a bag. The probability to accidentally cause an unintended function can be increased depending on the type of phone, for example, a bar-type portable terminal. To solve this problem, a portable terminal may include a hold key so that no operation is performed even upon receiving an input from an input key, or upon detecting a touch on a touch screen unless a cancel hold signal is input. However, such a method may cause inconvenience to a user in using a portable terminal. For example, in case the user wants to make a phone call when the portable terminal is in a hold state, the user must cancel the hold state first and then press a shortcut key from a phonebook or enter a phone number the user would like to call. If the portable terminal is set up so that the hold state is canceled only when a particular key is pressed for a certain period of time, the user may experience more inconvenience. It is also inconvenient if the user has to cancel the hold state every time the user wants to use the portable terminal.